The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-01-06
REPUBLICAN WASTE.

experimentation the Peoples Money
Was Squandered During Former Admin
istrations.
One more step in the reorganization
of the navy administration upon bust
ness principles has just been taken.
The yard at Boston has been changed
to an equipment yard, and placed in
charge of Commodore Schley, Chief OF
the Bureau of Equipment and Recruit
ing. Under this same new policy OF
devoting the yards as far as practicable
to specialties, the Washington yard had
previously been turned over to the Bu-
reau of Ordnance, and this will be the
great and only factory for finishing
naval guns. A third project is that of
making some yard general supply
depot for the navy, the one at Brooklyn
being perhaps the most likely to be
chosen for this purpose. 1t is further
probable that this or some other yard
will be designated as the chief center
of construction and repair.
Besides this assignment of yards to
special bureaus, we find Il second sys-
TEN of reorganization going on in the
concentration of authority, responsible
ity, and duties hitherto scattered among
all the bureaus into a single bureau.
This is illustrated by the reorganization
of the Bureau OF Provisions and Cloth
ing, under a new Paymaster-General,
making it practically Bureau of Ac-
counts and Supplies, though it has not
yet received that name. Another eX
ample was to have been furnished il
the reorganization of the Bureau
Construction and Repair; but the secre-
tary, after long delaying the reappoint-
ment of Mr.. Wilson as Chef Con.
structOr, with this view, decided re-
Gently that under the existing law he
did not possess the needed power, and
accordingly awaits action on the Naval
Reorganization bill now under discus,
sion in the House.
The fundamental Importance of the
thus initiated by Secretary
is very clearly indicated in
these words from the recent annual re.
port of Admiral Porter:
I" think the opinion is general throughout
the service that, until the department is reor,
ganized we can have no system, maintain nc
proper discipline, and build no effective ships
but that a reorganization of the department
Will bring order out of chaos. and the navy viii
run along as smoothly as it did previous tt
1912, when the Board of Navy Commissioners
ba Of "a ~ 10
and had administrative and executive author
ty."
Under the system in vogue before
the beginning of the present reform.
there were in each of the navy yards
separate establishments for six or seven
bureaus. As consequence, the work
was duplicated. Each organization
had its own shops, storehouses and
gangs of laborers, besides its clerical
force, when much of the work was
practically of sort common to most
of the bureaus. Secretary Whitney,
on looking over his department, was
to find six bureaus in the
same yard, separately buying little lots
of stationery, instead of having the
purchases made in common for all the
bureaus in each yard, and, in fact, fol
all the yards, by general contract.
with subsequent distribution on requi-
sitions. He found that seven bureaus
bought coal in one hundred and sixty
six separate open purchases, instead OF
by contract in large lots. He found
three bureaus buying oil for the differ
ent parts of the same ship. These
are ordinary examples of the want OF
system.
Not less remarkable was the waste of
supplies after they had been purchased.
This resulted largely from the fact that
many sorts of work were done ct each
-ard, and that whenever a yard was
temporarily closed the material was
Usually left to take care of itself, often
!eteriorating, while perhaps in another
-ard kept in operation exactly similar
material was purchased. Some of the
Illustrations of this fact given by Mr.. |
Whitney are extraordinary:
AT the eight navy yards there have accumu.
ated altogether OF augers and bits $3.50. of |
Which 1884 have been lying for several years |
1 closed yards, where no work has been or is |
likely TO be done; ease gross screws are on
and, 1886 gross lying at closed yards. There /
re .SSJ flies in stock, 14e of them lying al
losed yards. There are l1.Sl3 paint brushes in !
took. 2,246 Of these in the stores at closed |
ards. All of these tools are serviceable. most
: new. OF most Of these articles some bureaus
ave recently made considerable purchases.
nd are even doing so at the present time, while |
D the credit Of other bureaus there are very
lrge amounts in store. There are found to be /
yer 1900 tons OF cast and wrought iron lying
scrap about the yards. 959. 900 pounds of COM
osition and brass, $4,000 pounds of old copper
nd $4,000 pounds of old lead
The difference to be looked for under
he new order of things may be illus
rated by the Boston yard. All the ma
erial at that point not of use for tine
'ureau of Equipment viii be collected
nd sent to the yards where it belongs.
III the equipment materials in the
Their yards viii be collected and sent
} Boston. With such system pre-
ailing everywhere, we are not likely
, find another report like that of Cap
lin Meade's Inventory Board, that ma
rial TO the amount of three or four
lillions is scattered about, fast deteri-
rating or already obsolete and useless.
N Y. Sun.
-Egotism is a man without collar
lTTying a gold-headed cane.-Erchassos